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This year, springtime at Biltmore takes on a whole new meaning when a suite of four never-before-seen bedrooms opens to visitors for the first time in Biltmore House on April 4, 2009. These rooms provide a deep and revitalized connection between the two generations born at Biltmore and the visitors who come here to see George Washington Vanderbilt's 8,000-acre estate, a National Historic Landmark.

Coinciding with the start of Biltmore's 24th annual Festival of Flowers (April 4-May 17), the opening of the new rooms represents a major milestone in Biltmore's history, and one of the most revealing opportunities to date for Biltmore to tell the Vanderbilt family story.

Restored to its original splendor, this suite offers visitors the first opportunity to fully see the house as a family home and the Vanderbilts as parents. The Louis XV Room itself is perhaps the true heart of Biltmore. It served as birthplace of George and Edith Vanderbilt's only daughter, Cornelia, in 1900. Years later, it was where Cornelia delivered her own two sons, George Henry Vanderbilt Cecil and William Amherst Vanderbilt Cecil in 1925 and 1928, respectively.

When guests tour through the suite, they will realize like never before that Biltmore was much more than a magnificent house when Vanderbilt opened it on Christmas Eve 1895. It was a home, alive with family, friends and children.

Biltmore's team of curators, conservators and craftsmen spent years researching and sourcing materials from around the globe to authentically restore a part of Biltmore House that's been closed to visitors for nearly 100 years.

The 250 furniture pieces and decorative objects in the suite are part of George Vanderbilt's collection, but have been tucked away in storage since the 1930s, away from public view. Liberal doses of gold and silk make these rooms literally shine on a sunny morning, said Leslie Klinger, curator of interpretation, which she suspects was the reason Edith Vanderbilt chose to deliver her daughter in the suite's Louis XV Room. "Seeing this incredibly beautiful furniture reunited with the rest of Vanderbilt's collection is really spectacular," Klinger said.

Biltmore's experts engaged in extensive detective work throughout the restoration process. This included:

• Piecing remnants of original wallpaper found underneath door moldings and drapery brackets to determine wallpaper patterns for the reproduction process;
• Traveling to France to collaborate with fabric and wallpaper company designers to ensure the original fabrics were reproduced exactly;
• Hours of cleaning and repairing the objects from George Vanderbilt's collection;
• Hand mixing of paints to match the original colors.

With the opening of the suite, interpretation of Biltmore House itself is now expanded to focus on the people who once lived and visited in the home, in addition to the architecture and art collection. The visitor experience will be enhanced by the placement of lifestyle elements - items of the period - to achieve a lived-in feeling, more authentically portraying the day-to-day living that once took place in Biltmore House.

Biltmore's Museum Services staff members studied biographies of the people who visited the Vanderbilts and stayed in Biltmore House to populate the rooms with antique objects that represent their interests and lifestyles. "Many of the Vanderbilts' guests enjoyed horseback riding, so period riding gear will be placed in at least one of the guest bedrooms," Klinger said.

This story and many others like it reveal the Vanderbilt family's life at Biltmore. Members of the Museum Services staff spent years researching Vanderbilt history to include tidbits like this on Biltmore's new self-guided audio tour, available when the suite opens.

Detailed descriptions about each of the new rooms, along with photos of the restoration process, may be found at www.biltmore.com.

SOURCE Biltmore House

NEW YORK, Feb. 11 / -- The Andalucia region of southern Spain romances New York with its 9th Annual Flamenco Festival in February, "one of New York City's most important events" (Newsday), thrilling audiences while inspiring them to visit Andalucia, birthplace of flamenco.

The acclaimed Antonio Gades Company, established to perpetuate masterworks of the legendary dancer-choreographer, presents the flamenco version of "Carmen" in its USA premier, a re-staging of the Carlos Saura classic film starring Gades (now celebrating its 25th anniversary) at New York City Center.

Estrella Morente, daughter of flamenco cantaor Enrique Morente, is "a singer of amazing power and rhythmic control...among the new generation of flamenco" (New York Times). She ignites Carnegie hall with her stirring concert of flamenco and traditional Andalusian songs. For New York program and world tour: www.andaluciaflamenco.com

Flamenco, with folkloric origins centuries ago, is flourishing and evolving as a performing art with diverse regional genres and styles uniquely characteristic of each of Andalucia's eight provinces: Almeria, Cadiz, Cordoba, Granada, Huelva, Jaen, Malaga and Sevilla.

Coinciding with the New York Flamenco Festival, the Andalucia Tourist Board (www.andalucia.org), in conjunction with the Tourist Office of Spain (www.spain.info), is promoting tourism. Dignitaries and marketing executives from Andalucia are hosting special events for the travel industry in the New York area.

Traveling to and within Andalucia has become easier and even more convenient. Inaugurated June 4, 2008, Delta's nonstop service between New York (JFK) and Malaga's Pablo Ruiz Picasso Airport (duly named for the city's native son), increases its frequency to five flights a week in June 2009. (www.delta.com)

Iberia Airlines offers extensive service from five U.S. cities -- New York, Chicago, Miami, Boston and Washington DC -- nonstop to Madrid with convenient connections to cities in Andalucia. (www.iberia.com)

A transportation milestone in Andalucia is the high-speed AVE (Alta Velocidad Espanola) state-of-the-art bullet train between Madrid and Malaga in just 2-1/2 hours (velocity up to 215 mph). Inaugurated in December 2007, it transported over two million passengers during its first year of operation. This Madrid-Malaga route compliments Spain's first AVE service between Madrid and Seville (also a 2-1/2-hour trip), launched with extraordinary success for Seville's 1192 Universal Exposition. Additionally, a growing high-speed network connects Andalusian cities such as Malaga-Sevilla. (www.renfe.com)

To visit Dinosaur Provincial Park you must find accommodation in Brooks, Alberta, Canada.
Brooks is a city in Southern Alberta and is 168 kilometres southeast of Calgary on the Trans- Canada Highway. Having become a city just in 2005, Brooks is quite peaceful with just the right amount of development for it to make your stay luxurious and just the right amount of solitude for you to truly relax.
There are three provincial parks in the region. I have already talked about the Dinosaur Provincial Park (To visit their website click here). The other two are the Kinbrook Island Provincial Park and the Tillebrook Provincial Park.
During the winter months, the Brooks Bandits play in the Alberta Junior Hockey League. Having joined the league in 2000, the bandits enjoy a lot of popularity. In 2005, the bandits advanced to the playoffs for the first time but lost to the Camrose Kodiaks.
If you want to holiday in Brooks then you must visit it in the months of May to September. Winters are quite cold here with temperatures sometimes going to -17 °C in January.

Pic courtesy epriveass from flickr.com

Are you a big fan of Jurassic Park? I am. Dinosaurs intrigue me. I'm not talking about a Clifford like obsession to go to 'Dinosaur World', but I often find myself wondering what it would be like to live in those times and if there really is such a place somewhere on our planet where dinosaurs have been brought back to life.  
The closest you can get to such a place is picturesque Alberta, Canada (a 2 hour drive, east from Calgary) which is home to the Dinosaur Provincial Park. There aren't any real life dinosaurs here but the park has the largest known concentration of fossilized dinosaur bones and of other animals that lived in the water and on the land along with the dinosaurs. If you're dinosaur crazy then visit Alberta. You are bound to uncover a wealth of information about dinosaurs and about the evolution of the world that you won't be able to understand or experience sitting at home on the internet.
Apart from the park, Alberta also provides other forms of amusement such as fishing, swimming and waterskiing. After a visit to the dinosaur park you can take a hike and experience the scenery and wildlife of Canada or just laze around fishing for trout. If you want more information about Alberta's hunting and fishing regulations click here.

Pic courtesy Frank Maurer from flickr.com 

When anybody thinks of Canada they picture glaciers, secluded lakes and forests. However, Canada's charm is not restricted to its natural splendour. Even the cities in Canada are interesting to visit. Whether you want to go trekking or watch live theatre, Canada will promise not to disappoint you.
The most popular tourist destinations in Canada are Vancouver, Calgary, Niagara Falls, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec City, Halifax and Victoria although you don't have to restrict your visit to these places. There's so much to see in Canada!
To visit the official Canada tourism website click here.
Canada is a country that occupies most of Northern America and extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west. It is the world's second largest country by total area.
Originally inhabited by aboriginal people, Canada was occupied by British and French expeditions in the 15th century.
Although Canada is quite large in area it has low population density. This might be because it gets quite cold in Canada. Average winter and summer temperatures across Canada vary depending upon the location. Interior locations face harsh winters where the daily average temperatures are near -15 °C but can drop below -40 °C. On the east and west coast average high temperatures are generally low, around 20 °C.
Canadian culture has historically been influenced by aboriginal, British and French culture. It has also been influenced culturally by America owing to their proximity.

Pic courtesy Taylor Dundee from flickr.com

Batanes is a cheerful and festive province and if you happen to visit it during a festival, you can be sure that you will be included in the festivities by the warm and friendly people of the region.
The year begins with the feast of the three kings festival celebrated on the first Sunday of January to signify the gift- giving the magis did when the Christ child was born. As festive as Christmas day, this is a good time to visit the islands.
February marks the beginning of the fishing season. If you join a local fisherman, you are guaranteed to have the adventure of a lifetime especially if you are lucky enough to catch an arayu (a variety of Dorado).
March and April are the best times for trekking and in May and June several of the islands celebrate festivals. 26 June is celebrated as Batanes Day Anniversary and is usually a weeklong celebration with daily agro- industrial fairs, community sports festivals and cultural presentations.
The second week of October heralds the departure of migratory birds. They pass by in large flocks for a few days on their way to warmer areas. By November the temperatures dip, so it’s wise to stay away. But no matter what, the islands will still remain beautiful and peaceful.

Pic of Ivatan tribe at a festival in Lloilo city in Dinagyang, Philippines courtesy Aaron Paggabao from flickr.com

I was looking out for cool vacation rentals in Tennessee and discovered that there are a host of interesting festivals celebrated in that state through the year. It makes sense to time ones stay with one of these, and you can take your pick depending on the location and flavor you want.

There are some interesting festivals and fairs with agricultural or country themes - livestock, pet show, rodeo ride, and food themes like strawberry, pumpkin or tomato.

There are also music and culture related festivals which sound wonderful. A country music festival takes place at Nashville, you can now catch it in June 2009.  If you want to plan your stay and would like to know more about this festival, visit this link.

Right now, the Fall Folklore Jamboree is set to start in Milan. Over a 100 traditional folk artists, musicians and demonstrators will make appearances at the West Tennessee Agricultural Museum and demonstrate traditional crafts like broom making, quilting and doll making.

Local bluegrass and gospel music groups will perform throughout the day, and there will also be demonstrations of cooking. Read more details about the festival here.

This pic, courtesy Jessica on www.flickr.com has been taken at the Renaissance festival in May.

The museums in NZ are one of a kind boasting some of the widest collections in the world.

My favorite is the waterfront edifice in Wellington, one of the largest national museums in the world. This magical place melts arts and artifacts together with technological brilliance, creating absorbing displays and interactive games for all ages! Art collections, whale skeletons, working Maori marae and virual reality diversions all find their pride of place in the Museum of NZ-Te Papa Tongarewa.

After a significant internal revamp, the Auckland museum is everything you'd want in a city's storehouse of treasures: fun, interactive, attractive, informative, and filled with interesting collections. Its Maori and Polynesian section, the biggest in the world, sends shivers down your spine; forget your kids, set yourself loose in the Discovery Centre, where you can poke and pry into everything without compunction.

At the pinnacle of New Zealand's boating history, the NZ National Maritime Museum is booming. Look for KZ1 outside, and inside discover 1,000 years of the country's maritime history. You get to see sail makers, boat builders, and wood-turners at work and can even take a cruise on one of the vessels!

I saw a picture of the Rotorua Museum and just knew that I must visit it. Winner of the best Heritage Attraction for three years running, it is a great place to start your sightseeing in Rotorua. An architectural icon in itself, the building is one of the most photographed in NZ with a fascinating ans bizarre past. Take a look at the Bath House and you might even want to indulge in a curative treatment right here in Rotorua.

The Canterbury Museum and the International Antarctic Centre are two completely separate entities located miles apart, but together they present a terrific overview of life and history in Antarctica. Nowhere else in the world will you find this much gathered information about the great icy continent. There's everything from wildlife displays to human exploration accounts and a real ice chamber so you can get the feel of life in subzero temperatures.

Whangarei Art Museum permanently houses the city art collection containing both heritage and contemporary art work. A sizeable collection by early NZ modernist painter, Adele Younghusband is also part of the display.

The Cartoon Gallery is an online gallery for world class NZ cartoonists.

The Art Market in Waihi has been developed as a place from where artists can sell their work and now boasts more than 150 artists selling 1000's of individualistic pieces ranging from fantastic garden features to hand crafted jewelry. A range of art from NZ contemporary to Maori and Pacifica Art can be found.

The Kiosk is a 24/7 venue for contemporary art exhibitions by audio, screen and installation artists.

If you're looking for fun in NZ, it's not far away. The Auckland Dance and Open Air Film Festival are just the beginning. The Coromandel Pohutukawa Festival is a celebration of summer and includes a regatta, Warbirds over Thames and a Junk to Funk Wearable Art Competition.

You can view a provocative collection of films sourced from around the world at the Beck's Incredible Film Fest in Auckland and Wellington.

The Christchurch Arts Festival will dazzle you with jazz, opera, theater and cabaret performances.

A summer festival held at the magnificent Hamilton Gardens in February include theater, music, pantomime, Shakespeare, Major concerts and more.

Similarly, the Southern Lakes Festival of Color, held in the last week of April has an brilliant program showcasing respected names in art, music, dance and theater.

The Wellington Busking Festival is quite an extravaganza in February with amazing street performers and the Cuba and Manners Malls filled with acts from NZ and beyond to amuse and thrill you.

The country may be small, but it's not short of either art or culture. This is just the tip of the iceberg. Delve in and discover the hidden depths.

Picture Courtesy: www.flickr.com

No Madrid visit will be complete without a thorough viewing of the Golden Traingle connected by the Art Walk - the Prado, the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza and the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía.

The Prado focuses on Spanish, Italian and Flemish art from the 15th to 19th centuries housing masterpieces from Goya, Velazquez, El Greco, Titian, Rubens, Botticelli and so many more. With over 9000 works of which only 1500 can be displayed at a given time, the museum also runs exhibitions of other masters, having recently extended a Picasso exhibition owing to overwhelming demand.

The Thyssen-Bornemisza museum boasts a fabulous collection of nearly 800 paintings housed in the Palacio de Villahermosa which was specifically remodeled as a showcase for them. This museum supplies the gaps in the Prado and the Reina Sofia with a immense western art collection including Italian primitives, works from the German, Dutch and English schools as well as impressionist and expressionist paintings. With lesser known artists also given place, the collection has been carefully laid out chronologically, thematically and stylistically.

The Reina Sofia is not just a museum which displays Picasso, Miro, Tapies, Oteiza and others but also the foremost art center in Madrid with a varying program holding conferences, courses, poetry recitals and even contemporary music recitals.
The museum's permanent collection raises it to international standards but its modern art exhibitions help in giving its an unique flavor. The art library on the top floor is the most extensive in Spain.

The Royal Descalzas Convent founded in the 16th Century contains a large collection of pictures, sculptures, tapestries and pieces of furniture. This is a 'closed' convent that receives visitors two hours a day.

Madrid is teeming with museums like the Costume museum, The Erotica museum, Museo Sorolla, the Cerralbo Museum and others.

Aficionados should also take time out for the Casón del Buen Retiro and the Museo de la Escultura Abstracta.

Other than museums, Madrid plays host to the International Jazz Festival in November and also the traditional Fiestas like the Fiesta de la Almudena, La Paloma, Santa Semana, etc.

Concerts and theaters put up great performances through September and October and of course you can see flamenco being danced at the Candela bar or the Cafe de Chinitas or Casa Patas or other bars and restaurants in the city.

For a singularly Spanish experience, visit the Plaza de Toros de las Ventas, which is the world's most important bullfighting ring. The bullfighting season lasts from March to October with fights every Sunday at 7pm.

The Feria del Libro is an annual book fair located in the Retiro park. For a bookworm like me this is a great event with leading international novelists and historians coming to promote their latest works and the number of stands increasing annually. The feria covers 2 weeks from late May to early June.

Take a walk down La Castellana street which has the largest skyscrapers in Madrid with buildings designed in many different styles.

Even the railway in Madrid has got a touch of the art and style with the underground station being designed by Rafael Moneo and housing a large greenhouse with tropical plants. The station is situated close to the Botanical Gardens.

The Retiro park is an oasis of peace and activity in the middle of the city. You can admire the palaces of Velázquez, in addition to participating in a variety of sports or laze on the grass while watching street performers and concerts.

The Jean Carlos I park is a modern and vast green space which holds within it the recinto ferial, where most of Madrid’s exhibitions take place. You can view the largest collection of macro-sculptures in Spain when you go there to take a walk, ride a bicycle, fly kites or fish. 

If you buy the Madrid Card valid for 1 to 3 days available for 28 to 55 euros, you could get free entry to 40 major museums, use of public transport, a bus tour, a guided walking tour as well as discounts in select shops and restaurants thrown in!

Picture Courtesy: www.flickr.com

Start your sightseeing in Madrid with the stunning Royal Palace. Since the Spanish Royal family doesn't reside there, it is open to visitors and believe me with 3,000, that's right - 3000 (!) rooms filled with incredible clocks, tapestries, armors and other artifacts, it is a great tourist stop. Of course not all the rooms are open to public but the main rooms with paintings by Goya, Caravaggio, Rubens, Velazquez etc and the famous Hall of Columns as well as the Throne Room with its lavish sculptures, can be visited. Frescoes by Tiepolo adorn the palace and the architecture of the startlingly white building in granite and Colmenar stone as well as the lovely gardens make it worth a look in their own right.

After you're down with admiring the Royal Palace take a breather by walking around the pedestrian friendly Campo del Moro or down the gloriously vibrant Gran Via.

From there, strike off for the Plaza Mayor. The square has a rich history as the central place for public condemnations to bullfights and pageants. It was also used as a market place and is a lovely place to while away time with its beautiful cobbled ground dotted with shops and cafes in covered arcades.

Just 2 minutes away from the Plaza Mayor is the Puerta del sol - the easternmost gate of the city under the Hasburg kings surrounded by churches and monasteries at the time. With 10 roads converging there, it is a popular meeting point and the geographical center of the city. The monument of the bear and the strawberry tree stands in the center of the square.

The Plaza de Cibeles has the landmark fountain with a statue of the Greco-Roman fertility goddess astride a lion-drawn chariot. Overlooking this square is the main post office dating back from 1904.

Casa de Campo is the largest park in Madrid and its grounds also house a funfair. You can reach the it by metro or by taking the telecabin which will give you a great aerial view of the city.

Other parks that are worth spending some cloud-watching time in are the Retiro Park which used to be the private gardens of Philip IV, the Botanical gardens and the Environmental park.
The Environmental park is a new landscaped affair with 10 pavilions specially designed to recreate different natural environments. So you could walk through rain forests of tropical storms while seeing for yourself how animal and plant life have adapted to a variety of eco systems.
In the Retiro Park you could picnic hidden away by the thick wooded areas or row down the lake with your beloved. Fortune tellers, pavement artists, refreshment points, circus acts and puppet theaters are peppered over its lawns.

The Faro de Moncloa is a flying saucer shaped observation deck in the university area which offers some of the picturesque views of Madrid.

There are beautiful monasteries and different walking tours for you to indulge in when you're at a loose end.

Picture Courtesy: www.flickr.com

The best time to be in Madrid is spring or fall. The climate is generally temperate with balmy May possibly the most glorious time and October also dishing up ideal weather. The crowds are fewer during these two months too.
August is a tricky time to go... it's really peaceful but even inhabitants of Madrid take off at this time leaving 75 percent of the city's restaurants and shops shut!
Being the highest capital in Europe Madrid sees more extreme seasons. July and August are rather hot and dry hitting temperatures of 104 degrees Fahrenheit.
Mid April- June and September- November are the nicest times.

Spain has about 3000 feasts and fiestas in a year! Besides the usual holiday celebrations fron New Year's Day and Christmas to Easter and National Day, take a look at a few others on the Madrid Calendar.

January sees parades staged through the main thoroughfares in anticipation of the Feast of the Epiphany.

In February you get to be part of the biggest draw in Spain's cultural calendar - ARCO, Madrid's International Contemporary Art Fair with exhibits drawn from galleries around the world.
The Madrid Carnaval kicks off with a big parade along the Paseo de la Castellana and wraps up in style with a masked ball at the Círculo de Bellas Artes on the following night. Fancy-dress competitions, dancing in the streets all mark the Carnival ending with a sentimental "burial of a sardine" at the Fuente de los Pajaritos in the Casa de Campo. A concert in the Plaza Mayor follows that evening.

The Semana Santa week leading up to Easter Sunday sees plenty of non-religious festivities too. One of the most elaborate Holy Weeks celebrations in Spain, you'll see processions of hooded penitents moving to the wail of the saeta, a love song to the Virgin or Christ. Heavy floats can be seen bearing images of the Virgin and Christ.
The bullfighting season jumpstarts with the Holy Week offering a visitor some fantastic insight into the Spanish temperament.

On May 2, rock concerts and flamenco shows take place all over the city and particularly in the Dos de Mayo square to commemorate the uprising against the French forces.
Every city and town, big or small, in Spain celebrates its local saint's day. In Madrid, it's the Fiesta de San Isidro on May 15. A wide range of public performances, concerts, dancing, bullfighting mark the day of Madrid's patron saint. Natives run wild over ten days celebrating with food fairs, Castilian folkloric events, street parades, parties and other festivities.

The Corpus Christi in June is a major holiday marked by a big procession.
The summer binge of Madrid in July is the Veranos de la Villa with much happening from pop and classical music, folk dancing, zarzuelas, flamenco and open air cinema. The program changes every year but is always fun.

Two fun feasts mark August - Beginning with the Lavapies Feast on August 1 and going on till the La Paloma Feast on August 15, there is aplenty of children's games, floats, music, dancing and street fairs. What's really interesting to see is thousands of people racing through the narrow streets and apartment dwellers throwing water on them to cool them off!

September is a great time for theaters and concerts. But the Autumn Festival with a series of operatic, ballet, theatrical and music performances is held in October. This festival of world renown has reasonably priced tickets.

Better look out on December 28 - the spanish equivalent of April Fool's Day.

Picture Courtesy: www.flickr.com

Fort Zoutman and the Willem III tower, the oldest building in Aruba house the Historical museum, a fascinating collection of articles spanning Aruba's history from the earliest times through the Spanish and Dutch periods. The Bon Bini festival, a weekly folklore fair is held here.

The Numismatic Museum situated next to the central bus station in Oranjestad contains over 30,000 historic coins and currencies from Aruba and around the world dating back to the 5th century B.C. including collection fron the Roman, Chinese and Byzantine empires.

The Archaeological Museum located diagonally across from the bus stop in Oranjestad, exhibits giant earthen jars over 5 rooms of which a few contain the remains of Aruba's original inhabitants! There's even a skeleton (though sadly not of a swashbuckling hard to catch buccaneer full with monocle!). Ancient artifacts, pottery tools and art are also displayed.

The Rococo Plaza or Museum of Antiquities showcases Louis XV Antiques & Curiosities and interesting items from Aruba and South America. The building itself is worth a dekko with onion shaped towers and a roof in red copper and made of antique building materials from the 17th century.

Other museums are the Aruba Local Balm museum that takes you through the 160-year old history of aloe gel and its harvesting techniques. Besides this you could see the De Man Shell collection in a private home on the island.

Access Art Gallery and Galeria Eterno are two art galleries you might want to drop by while on the island.

Shipwrecks are popular in Aruban history with Pedernales, Jane Sea and California wreck all being of historical significance as well as great viewing for diving enthusiasts.

The Church of Noord is a good example of neo-Gothic sculpture. The rectory was built in 1877 and is the oldest on the island. An interesting titbit that makes the church a place worth visiting is the fact that the retable, communion rail and pulpit won a prize at the first Vatican Council.

The Alto Vista Chapel built by Spanish missionaries in the 18th century is a little yellow building thought to be the first church in the Caribbean. Services are still conducted there and maybe you want to attend one. I certianly would... there's no other word for it... the church is cute. It's just the kind of place you'd want to find if you were Hansel and Gretel.

The Santa Ana Church showcases a 100 year old hand carved oak altar. Besides these, the Protestant church, the Beth Israel synangogue, the St. Franciscus Church are other religious sites worth a visit.

The Cultural center in Oranjestad, the Seaport Crystal theatre and the Let's Go Latin! are great theatre venues.

Picture Courtesy: www.flickr.com

Kenya is quite bursting with museums. And quaint ones. Whether it's the German Post Office showing trade relations and growth of Kenya through postal evidence or the Railway Museum exhibiting steam engines and the colorful history of railways in Kenya, you could spend hours discovering the past.

Unfortunately the Kenya National Museum is closed for renovation till July 2007. The museum is so very big and broken into so many sections that you could easily spend a day there. If you have only a few hours to spare then take a look at the guide book in the entry way and select your tour. For the moment the Snake Park and Botanical Gardens that are part of the museum are open to public.

Fort Jesus built by the Portuguese in 1593 is hailed as the best example of 16th century portuguese military architecture. The fort has a tumultous history, changing hands no less than 9 times... from Portuguese to Omani Arabs to being used as a British prison. Finally in 1958 the fort was declared a National Monument and in 1962 it opened its doors as a museum. The fort in itself is impressive besides showcasing archeological finds, artifacts from a shipwreck off MOmbasa and holding a rather fascinating sound and light show reliving the history of the building.

Lamu Museum is the former District commissioner's house, originally built for Queen Victoria's consul, Jack Haggard. This museum houses a rich collection of ethnographic material from the Swahili, Orma and Pokomo ethnic groups. You'll also see traditional Swahili craft such as the Siwa (side-blown horn), furniture and jewellery.
Other museums on the Lamu island are the Swahili House museum and the Lamu Fort Environment museum.

Another really fascinating place is the Karen Blixen museum, which is a farmhouse. Okay, I confess, I just love Out of Africa and this museum is the erstwhile house of the author. You can spend a quiet day here (event rentspace for a wedding reception!), view period furnishings in a genuine home setting, mull over photographs of the coffee house, Blixen's house in Mbagathi and even see Denys Finch Hatton's grave.

The National Archives is another place filled with artwork, handicrafts and is rich is historical documents and photographs.

Other museums of note are the Hyrax Hill Museum- home to material from major prehistoric materials, the Kitale museum, Narok Museum, Kisumu museum and more.

In Kenya theatre is a common form of social education. Plays tend to be local production of foreign plays, and there is a definite tendency towards broad comedy. Other than the National Theatre groups like the Phoenix Players and Redykyulass are very popular.

Music and dance in Kenya is a rich amalgamation of many tribes and ethnic groups. Songs sung after victorious lion hunts in the masai tribe are popular performed along with a leaping dance to show off their prowess. Sikuiti, Siwu and Nyatiti are popular instruments (i'm just showing off... those would be drums, flute and lyre respectively) belting out tunes to raise your soul. Musicians like Mighty King Kong, Joseph Ogidi Eric Wainaina are bringing the african beats blended with some western twangs to the international stage. Keep an ear out. In a place like Africa, everything's music if you pay attention.

Though kenyans don't have many art galleries, the country is a literal storehouse. From rock caves to paintings, intricate beadwork and beautifully fashioned adornments, water gourds, neck pillows, body paint... evrything is used as an expression of creativity. A discerning visitor will be surprised at the wealth of art outside of the four walls of a gallery.

Picture Courtesy: www.flickr.com

The art in Gold Coast is like a voyage... It's a discovery, a pleasant find you make as you go about your day.
You might be on your day trip to Mount Tambourine when you'll stumble upon the Gallery Walk with it's sculptures and pottery and woodworks or the Crafter's Gallery.
You might be taking a walk along the beautiful Curumbin Beach Ocean-Walkway and you'll get to see some really fascinating sculptures by 60 of the world's leading artists at the Swell Sculpture Festival.
Or you might wander in for a beer at the Hard Rock Cafe and find yourself looking through a collection of music memorabilia at rock n' rolls most famous museum in Queensland.

The Gold Coast War Museum has an array of memorabilia from the two world wars and the Vietnam War, including tanks, armoured vehicles, planes and posters.

The River Mill located on the Nerang-Beaudesert Rd, just before the Mt Tamborine turnoff is an historic mill built in 1910. It was Australia's first arrowroot mill and has been turned into a popular tourist attraction functioning as a museum, with the old machinery intact. There is a cafe and a small animal park where children can feed camels, donkeys, horses and deer.

Spread over 12 themed galleries, Ripley's Believe It Or Not Museum, is a more "today" affair with its buzarre collection. For anyone who's ever played the Ripley's board game as a kid and been fascinated with the trivia, this is a must visit.

The Beudesert Museum showacases a Pioneer Homestead complete with farm implements and a buggy!
There are other collections of aborginal art, a race car museum of Dick Johnsson and even a wax museum for those who haven't made it to Tussaud's.

The Gold Coast City Art Gallery at Surfer's Paradise is one of Australia's most prolific public regional galleries.

Keep yourself willing and open at Gold Coast, cultural activities will beckon and you must plunge in. The Wintersun festival will offer you a taste of sun and wine; Tastes of Gold Coast will tease your palate; Music fests and stage plays at the Conrad Jupiter for the more artistically inclined; just let yourself go and savor every bite and sip and glance. Let the sheer enthusiasm of the people and place... the "aliveness", if you will, infest you!

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The Museum of the Future in Linz is a stunning exhibition of the colloboration possible between art, technology and society.
Technological wizardry from the 21st century is spread out over 5 levels.

The Benedictine Abbey founded in 1074 by Archbishop Gebhard of Salzburg is a highly regarded cultural and artistic centre as well as an internationally renowned baroque museum. The Abbey was destroyed by fire in 1865, but the largest ecclesiastical Baroque library in the world was untouched. It is  an architectural masterpiece, crammed with awesome paintings, rare manuscripts and early printed books. It also showcases beautiful ceiling paintings by B. Altomonte.

The Archaeological Museum located in Bad Deutsch-Altenburg which used to be the most important Roman town in the Alps and dates from about 6 AD. Today, the town is preserved and the Archaeological Museum of Carnuntinum contains original pieces of Roman jewellery, coins and arms. The Roman mysteries of Mithras and other oriental religions and cults are revealed by pictures of worship and other objects. The whole town is like a museum with two amphitheatres, Roman baths, temples and military camp.

Gurk Cathedral built in the 11th century is regarded as the most outstanding example of Romanesque architecture in Austria. The magnificent baroque altar is adorned by 72 statues and 82 angels’ heads. The fresco paintings date from the second half of the 13th century and visit the wondrous 100-pillared crypt located deep beneath the cathedral.

The fine palaces of Belvedere are home to the Österreichisches Galerie, which take you through the nation's art history - from Baroque pieces by painters such as Rottmayr to an astounding collection of works by Klimt, Schiele and Kokoschka.

The Mozart museum, the Leopold museum, the Jewish Theatre, and other galleries and multitude of musical events and the many other traditions over the year make Austria a completely exhilarating experience.

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When to go to Austria quite depends on where you want to go. Vienna with its busy festival calender is a year round destination. As are the other urban areas. If you are going to the mountainous regions, you'll get two distinct tourists seasons - winter sports and summer hiking.
For warm weather, go between April and October but if want to ski and see the snow, make your trip fom November to April. Though keep in mind that away from the skiing ranges and areas, the rest of the country is quite wet and miserable during the snow.
Weather conditions vary only slightly across the country. Upper and Lower Austria can be quite foggy, the lowlands in the north and the east enjoy more continental weather and sudden thunder showers are possible througout the year at the higher altitudes.
Vienna pulls quite a crowd at Christmas time, New Years and Fasching, the ball season. January sees not only the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra launching the year and the carnival but also the 'Eistraum' - or Dream on Ice, with the square betweeen the Town Hall and the Burgtheatre being converted into a giant ice skating rink with music and kiosks. The Dream on Ice lasts till mid-march.
January also sees the Mozart Week in Salzburg.
The last night of the Carnival in February sees the Opera Ball. You may not need an invite like the grand balls in Venice but you do need a rather expensive ticket.
March is the month of spring festivals with the world's greatest composers ushering in blooms and greenery into the country.
May and June play host to the International Music Festival where you'll hear orchestras and see conductors known over the world. You could hear old masterpieces performed like they were meant to be. The same months also stage operas, musicals, theatre, damces performed by amateus and the internationally acclaimed at the Vienna Festival.
On June 20 is the Midsummer Night celebration with bonfires and and folklores mumbled over them.
The Salzburg Festival is held in July and is a must on your Vienna calender if you can manage it. Cultural performances galore with chambermusic,plays, concerts, operas, the essential Mozart opera are performed at various venues in Salzburg.
The Vienna International Film Festival is held throughout October showcasing the experimental and the best of European cinema.
Christmas time is great in Vienna specifically, with open air markets decked with holly and ribbons springing up with toys and trees and roasted chestnuts and... just a little bit of Christmas cheer.
Austria has a hectic events calender mostly tinkling with music. No wonder Sound of Music was set in this country. (If you haven't seen the film, please do.)

If you can, try and attend the Kandy Perhara in August, this annual festival since the 15th century is one of the most colorful events in the Sri Lankan calendar.
For two weeks the city is steeped in traditional rituals, torch bearers, whip crackers, elephants lit up like temples and sihala music. A nightlong ceremony held to honor the God Kohomba has great attraction for a visitor with men and women dressed in silver belts, beaded breastplates, jangling anklets dancing to the beat of drummers. The festival culminates in a procession to the Tooth relic.

Another important festival, the Duruthu Perhara, held in Colombo in January marks Buddha's visit.
The National Day is celebrated with parades, dances and national games.
The Sri Lankan New Year  in March/April sees elephant races, coconut games and pillow fights(!!)
Vesak in May, is a sacred full-moon festival commemorating the birth, death and enlightenment of Buddha.
The Hindu Vel festival (July/August) in Colombo, where the ceremonial chariot of Skanda, the God of War, is hauled between two temples; and the predominantly Hindu Kataragama festival (July/August) in Kataragama, where devotees put themselves through the whole gamut of ritual masochism.

The museums in Lanka are not really the greatest. They might be worth seeing but maybe not worth going to see. Lack of funds might be the reason with admission charges being rather cheap!
From the varied assortment of maritime museums in Galle, dutch period museums, the Ratnapura museum detailing the process of gem-mining, a museum dedicated to the life of past prime minister Bandaranaike, etc, worth dropping into are the National museums in Colombo, Kandy and the archeological museum in Anuradhapura.
The Colombo museum houses artefacts from all over the island and its culturalheritage. There is Puppetry and Children's section as well as a library with 5 lac books and ancient palm leaf manuscripts.
The Kandy museum building itself is of archeological significance. The collection within is from the Kandyan period.
Also of interest is the Martin Wickramasinghe Folk Art Museum, which is built around the author's former residence and includes an extensive exhibition of all things folk that is very well interpreted.

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Majorca has an astounding number of festivals and events that are constantly being added to.

In February, a carnival parade with fancy dress and fireworks marks the beginning of Lent, with Palma having the most impressive fiesta.
April sees the Princess Sofia trophy which is one of the most important yachting regattas in the islands.
In May, the Festa de Nostra sanyora de la victoria holds mock battles in Soller to mark the raid by Turkish pirates in 1561.
The Corpus Christi, held in Pollenca in June, includes the 'Dance of the Eagles' in the main square of the town.
Fairs are held all over the island in June.
Valdemossa in July sees a feast and a procession of carts with bulls.
The Processio de la Beata honors Sant Catalina with floats and people dressing in folk costume. It's held on the first Sunday in September.
There are many more feasts and celebrations commemorating various saints and conquests of the island, locals dressing as horses, parades, dancing and fairs.
Don't worry about enjoying yourself in the local manner - there will always be some event for you to get involved in.

The Mallorca Museum near the Mallorca Cathedral, the largest in the Balearic islands and housed in the Palau Ayamans, a lofty residence, its main attractions are prehistoric artefacts, moorish ceramics, medieval and baroque paintings and pieces of ancient buildings that are no longer in existence.

The Museu d'Art Espanyol Contemporani is housed in an early 20th century Renaissance building. The museums exhibits include works by Salvador Dali, Joan Miro and Picasso's Head of a Woman. The museum is open MOnday to Friday 10am to 6.30pm and on Saturday's from 10am to 3.30pm.

The Municipal Museum contains large amounts of gothic art, archeological finds and some modern paintings.
There is also a museum dedicated to the famous Croaratian artist, Kristian Krekovic. Besides his paintings,there are also paintings and handicrafts from Spain and Latin America.

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Istanbul has a fine abundance of monuments and archeological sites for history buffs to feast on. Besides these however the place is abounding with activities all through the year. Jazz Festivals, Yacht Exhibitions, an International Film Festival, exhibitions on the Hamam tradition of the Ottomon empire - which covers their baths and hairdressing, there is always something happening in Istanbul.

You can visit the Ataturk and Akatlar cutural centers for your fill of ballet and opera.
There are museums galore - toy museums, Military museum, Ayasofya which is now a museum. But you must visit the great Basilica cistern - the most visited cistern in the world. Even with cafes and lights and garish music, the cistern is still an overwhelming sight. With columns adorned with the heads of Medusa and stones brought in from other historical structures, do not miss the Basilica Cistern.

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Author Anthony Horowitz of the Alex Rider series called Venice a “living museum”. So while you’re there, you’re part of one of the many exhibits adding to its glory. Now there’s a thought… you didn’t even have to be wax!
Okay... sparing you the bad humor. The best thing you could do for yourself if you’re a culture freak is buy yourself the Orange Venice Card for about 10 pounds a day or 19 pounds for three days to get free entry into some museums, palaces and onto all water buses.

Be sure to visit the Accademia, Guggenheim Museum and Pala d’Oro. You’ll see a range of artwork from Venetian painting through the 14th to 18th centuries, European and American art from the first half of the 20th century and a large living example of Gothic goldsmith’s art.
For classical music visit Goldoni or Palazzo Prigione Vecchie. If you’re a Vivaldi fan, drop by the Pietá church.

The Fenice and Palafenice should be on your circuit for both a culture experience and a tourist look in. The Fenice has had a stormy history burning down in 1996 and since has seen a revival after years of re-structuring and re-creating. It is the one-stop place for dance and opera in Venice.

There are no Cinema houses in Venice, films playing rarely during film festivals but live theatre can be found at the Teatro Malibran.

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